Benfica call on kids ahead of visit to Ibrox
Benfica rested their entire team for last night’s Portuguese Cup match to ensure their players are fresh to face Rangers on Thursday.
The Lisbon side travel to Glasgow for the fourth round of fixtures in the Europa League, with both clubs huge favourites to qualify from the Group Stages.
Benfica managed to dig out a 3- 3 draw at home to Steven Gerrard’s men before the international break, despite having to play for 71 minutes with 10 men and being 3-1 down.
But they have major problems for the Ibrox game.
Over half of their first- team are out because of injury and positive Covid- 19 tests.
Nuno Taveres, Andre Almeida, JeanClair Todibo and Brazilian ace, Pedrinho, are all injured, while Darwin Nunez and Julian Weigl have both tested positive for coronavirus.
So Benfica boss, Jorge Jesus, decided to allow all of his senior squad to miss last night’s Portuguese Cup clash, away to third-tier minnows, Paredes.
Instead, Jesus called up nine players from his Benfica B squad, with the rest of the team made up of youngsters.
Jesus said: “Some of my players were away on international duty for 11 days, and played three games. They need a rest.
“The squad are getting a break and won’t return to training until the day before we play Rangers in Glasgow.
“Facing Paredes provided a great opportunity for some of the younger players and those in the B squad.
“I was not disrespecting Paredes in any way.
“Rangers is an important match for us, and I want the players to be ready for Scotland.”
It will be the first time the Portuguese giants have played a competitive match at Ibrox.
Their only previous visit – with the great Eusebio in their ranks – was for a friendly in 1965, when the hosts won 3- 1, thanks to a Jim Forrest double and a goal from George Mclean.